Building Tomorrow's Leaders, One Esquire at a Time
On August 5, 2023, the Esquires participated in a Paint & Sparkling Cider Sip, facilitated by Errol Cook Esq., at his art gallery Counsel & Canvas. Most of the Esquires had never held a paint brush before. Errol walked them through the class which resulted in them creating a piece inspired by Marvel’s Black Panther
One of the Education Enhancement Modules of Alpha Esquires is Financial Literacy and Investment, instructed by Jamelle Nelson, CPA. During the module, Jamelle provides an overview of the stock market and explains debt to income ratio. When the module concludes, the Esquires have an opportunity to make an investment of any amount they choose. The program design calls for Jamelle to educate the Esquires regarding their investment when their quarterly statements arrive. Esquires can opt out at any time.
The purpose is to provide the Esquires an opportunity to earn their own scholarship money while concurrently learning how to invest.
Pictured is Esquire Kelvin Andrews. Kelvin became an Esquire when he was in the 8th Grade. In the 9th Grade Kelvin participated in the Financial Literacy and Investment module, investing $100.00. In the Fall of 2023, Kelvin will be enrolled in the College of Business at Clark Atlanta University. On July 18, 2023, Kelvin cashed out his account with Jamelle and received a check in the amount of $4,833.34! That’s a pretty get return from a $100.00 investment!
The Esquires took their annual trip to the Pasadena Playhouse to enjoy live theater. This year we attended a viewing of the Pulitzer Prize nominated play “Stew”. Afterwards we had a debrief with the Esquires and it was amazing to hear their critical analysis of the play. Mentoring matters. Exposure to culture matters.
On July 1, 2023, The Alpha Esquires hosted the 3rd Annual Ice Cream & Game Truck Social. We are pleased to announce it was a huge success. The community came out in large numbers to support the program, the Esquires and their friends had a blast in the Game Truck, and the adults entertained themselves playing cards in the backyard. Local DJ “Cornbread” kept the crowd entertained and atmosphere electric, and as an added bonus, licensed barber Anthony Bertram provided the Esquires free haircuts. 100% of all proceeds will go toward year round Alpha Esquires programming.
Last night the Esquires closed out the season with a Mentor and Mentee dinner at Post & Beam. The Mentors facilitated a dining etiquette workshop and awarded the graduating Esquires with scholarships. Esquire Kelvin Andrews will begin his pursuit of higher education at Clark Atlanta University, with Esquire Dylan Branch Across the street at Morehouse College. Special thanks to Brandon and Nicole Miller of Stepping In the Right Direction for providing the Black Grad Boxes.
After a year and a half of not being able to program due to the pandemic, on October 23, 2021, the Esquires relaunched with our annual pancake breakfast fundraiser. It was an overwhelming success. It was good to be back among the boys. Stay tuned for upcoming events! We appreciate your support!
Councilman Al Austin invited the Esquires to his campaign office to discuss the importance of community advocacy and being an active participant in the political process in order to effect positive change.
The Alpha Esquires went beyond STEM to the world of STEAMD++ through local workshops and presentations at the Ontario International Airport. Business leaders from various companies and organizations shared the lucrative opportunities in the aviation and space fields.
The Esquires partnered with Corba Youth Adventures to tackle the trails of Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas.
The trails provided a challenge and a historic television shoot location (M.A.S.H) provided a much needed rest spot.
Real-life room escape games are a type of physical adventure game in which people are “locked” in a room with other participants and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, find clues and escape the room within a set time limit.
The Esquires had to race the clock to escape the Magic Kingdom, Lunar Mission, Secret Mission, and Sky Odyssey.
